It isn't perfect, but is still a very entertaning game for a cycling fan. As I was saying to a work colleague earlier, it is always satisfying breaking the peloton to pieces in crosswinds in Qatar or destroying the field on a mountain stage.

The game has come a long way since the very first version god knows how many years ago (which was also entertaining). Some versions have been terrible, but now it is a quite mature series that is less of a worry.

On the management side it is pretty weak, even in the most recent version. There are some good features like sponsors changing and now you can take a team from Continental to Pro Continental to World Tour. There are also some websites that provide extensive updates. These include real name databases and race variations. What that means is that you get different stage profiles each year in major races, rather than just racing the 2012 routes every season.

While PCM doesn't have the depth of Football Manager (and never will) it is worth buying.

One of the great things about the game is starting with a weak continental team, where just taking the mountain jersey for a couple of days or getting a top 10 is an achievement. The same with getting someone in a break and actually winning a stage. A few seasons later you are in the World Tour and little things like that aren't important, as instead you are racing for GC in Grand Tours.